Panthers' Newton: Criticism not racist; JaMarcus, VY to blame

Because Cam Newton has set the NFL on fire this season, it seems silly to think back to when scouts and experts wouldn't go near the Panthers rookie quarterback's bandwagon. Blaine Gabbert more worthy of the No. 1 overall pick? That's downright laughable now.

"I can't sit up here and look at it like, 'Oh man, my critics are racist,' " Newton said. "I blame JaMarcus Russell and to some degree Vince Young. If you have the opportunity to make that kind of money doing something you love to do, why would you screw it up? I'm trying to be a trailblazer. If Baylor's Robert Griffin decides to come out, I want people to say 'He can be the next Cam Newton' instead of 'He's going to be the next JaMarcus Russell.' "

Now, about the catch, Newton specifically blames two black quarterbacks for his being disrespected, so maybe the criticism was racial but no so much racist (there is a difference)?

Anyhow, Newton had much more to say about his critics, specifically how he was in disbelief when, all of a sudden, they wanted to do interviews after he became the first player in NFL history to open his career with back-to-back 400-yard passing games.

Newton's remarkable transition

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Cam Newton has adapted from Auburn's run-option attack to successfully running the
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"I had people who can't throw a football telling me my mechanics were wrong," Newton said. "I had people taking shots at my character, classifying me as a thug, as a hoodlum. After Week 3 or 4, all these same people wanted an interview. I said, 'You were giving me all this crap and had so much to say about how I was going to play, and now you want to talk? No. Just sit back and watch the show, man.' "

"Gone are the days of the drop-back quarterback who can only throw the ball," Newton said. "You know the new iPhone? It's faster, more powerful and smarter. It's revolutionary. Why can't the quarterback be like that? Why can't you be a big, tall, fast, quick, strong, smart, mobile quarterback who's unstoppable?"